Socializing
by JRedd7272
Summary: After Caleb goes to the Deepsea Metro with Cap'n Cuttlefish, Mia decided to have a girl hangout with Aaliyah. But what becomes a hangout turns into a session. Aaliyah cannot speak up for herself, and Mia is there to help her. (Rated T for some swearing)
1. Girl Hangout

**Bet you didn't see this story coming, did you? Listen. While Redd represents my normal self side almost every day, Aaliyah represents my... sensitive, antisocial side. ;)**

**And... I didn't make a story based on Mia just yet. So I'll do this one so she can help a friend that she cares for.**

**With that done, let's get this chapter started. :D**

* * *

Another day in Inkopolis Square. The scene is at on the lower floors of New Albacore Hotel.

Mia enters her apartment, in her agent outfit. She just had to fight a boatload of Octarians that were trying to invade and take over the places around Inkopolis. Mia and Caleb were the only ones who managed to do it. Callie and Marie were busy with their music business, and Redd was doing the same for his group.

"Phew... ugh, sometimes being an Agent can take up a lot of energy..." Mia groaned. As she was walking in, the first room she decided to go to was her bedroom. When she walks in, she grabs her casual clothing. Then she walks to the bathroom to change into those clothing.

She felt more comfortable now that she was in that basic, casual clothing set she wore since coming to Inkopolis Plaza.

"Huff... I just want to relax..." Mia said softly while walking back to her bedroom. She just jumped on her bed, laying on her back. The Octarians weren't really hard to defeat. But since it was, like, a huge army, that could make things a bit trickier.

For Mia, being Agent 3 was one of the best things that ever happened in her entire life. She wasn't weak, and she wasn't too strong either back then. Now she was in between, protecting her fellow squidizens from the clutches of evil.

But of course, during her free time, she always tends to draw some anime on her notebook. She's gotten really good at sketching, and now she's making sure to at least make the colors in black and white.

As long as she enjoyed anime and drawing, she could mix the two together and finally take some time to relax.

* * *

Some time has passed, and Mia just finished another drawing she recently created. Since she knew about Switch from what Redd told her, she learned more about much more universes across from theirs.

Mia looks at her recently made drawing. It was a mixture of another one of Mia's fancy anime girls. And the other cross was from a hero called Spider-Man, from another universe called "Marvel".

"There. That should finish it." Mia sighed as she put the notebook down, along with her pencil. Then she heard the doorbell ring.

_"Hmm. I wonder who that could be." _Mia thought. She exits her bedroom and walks to the front door of her apartment. When she opened the door, she is greeted by Caleb.

"Hello, Mia." Caleb greeted.

"Oh. Well, hello, Caleb. You need anything?" Mia asked.

"Not really. Just thinkin' we can talk for a bit." Caleb replied.

"Well, come in." Mia said with a smile as she moved aside so Caleb can walk in.

"Heh. Your apartment is really nice, Mia. It's as good as Redd's." Caleb complimented him.

"Like him, I also do Turf Wars. Just not often as him though..." Mia responded.

"Oh. I see." Caleb said, understanding completely of what she was talking about.

"Anyway, you said you wanted to talk to me. What's on your mind, Caleb?" Mia asked.

"Well... I do kinda have a favor to ask you," Caleb explained, "You see, Cap'n and I are going back to the Deepsea Metro to investigate some more about the sanitized Octarians that Tartar left behind. I was wondering if you would like to come with us."

"That place smells real nasty. I don't wanna go back there." Mia exclaimed as she made a vomiting motion, as if she didn't really like the looks or any other senses possibl for the female Agent.

"Neither do I, it kinda freaks me out," Caleb sighed, "But... I think you're the only one who can help me on this mission. Redd might be busy with hanging out with Marie, and Joel and David haven't seen the Deepsea Metro yet. And... and..."

"I know. You know Aaliyah is too scared to come." Mia interrupted.

"That, and... she can't fight. I need someone to help me out, in case of some attackers. Please, Mia." Caleb pleaded. He seemed very desperate.

"You can ask Redd, you know, Caleb. He might not be busy." Mia suggested.

"Are... Are you sure, Mia? He might say no..." Caleb mumbled.

"Redd is always up to help people! That's what he likes to do," Mia said with a smile, "Remember, he's Agent 4, so he's not _not _experienced. So in case of random attackers, my brother can help. Trust me."

"I... I guess I'll give it a try." Caleb said, his courage rising back up.

"Plus, it'll be nice to hang out with Aaliyah. Since we're both girls." Mia said with a smirk.

"A girl hangout?" Caleb asked.

"Definitely! A girl hangout!" Mia repeated.

"Heh, yes! It sounds like a plan, Mia!" Caleb cheered.

"Alright, go find Redd, and tell him about your plans with Cap'n. He'll be more than happy to oblige, I just know it." Mia responded as she put an arm on his shoulder.

"Wait. I just had a thought..." Caleb realized.

"What's up?" Mia asked.

"What are you gonna be doing with Ali, exactly?" Caleb asked Agent 3.

"Maybe we'll just go to the mall, go out for lunch, see a movie... you know, stuff that girls do." Mia said with a shrug.

"Are you sure Aaliyah will be okay with that? She's antisocial. It'll be tough for her." Caleb asked, a worried look on his face.

"That's why I'm here! I'm Agent 3, and I help people! She'll be alright. You just worry about her too much, Caleb." Mia responded.

"Worry too much... I guess I do." Caleb sighed in defeat.

"You really love her. It's perfect for an Octoling like you, _Agent 8._" Mia teased, a wide smirk made. Caleb's whole face turned pink.

"O-Oh gosh, um... I gotta go now, Mia! Thanks for the advice, and have fun with Aaliyah!" Caleb yelled as he ran back to the front door.

"No problem, Caleb! Be safe, and... yep! Stay Fresh!" Mia called out while waving good bye. Caleb smiled back and winked before shutting the door and leaving. Once the door was fully closed, Mia pondered for a moment.

_"Does she really have that much trouble?" _She thought.

* * *

***scene change: outside Aaliyah's apartment***

Mia rings the doorbell, the classic "ding dong" sound being heard. Mia heard a yelp, and then footsteps frantically pounding on the floor.

"I'm coming!" A shy female voice yelled. The door opens, and Aaliyah is there.

"O-Oh. Hi, Mia." The innocent Octoling greeted.

"Hi, Aaliyah. It's good to see you." Mia said with a kind smile.

"So... um... why are you... here?" Aaliyah asked.

"I was wondering if you want to hang out with me. Just the both of us. A girl hangout." Mia requested.

"Hangout? I've... never done that before..." Aaliyah mumbled.

"Ah, don't worry! It'll be fine! Remember, it's just me coming with you! So you don't have to worry about a thing!" Mia insisted, her smile wide. Mia isn't really a social butterfly-fish, but she knew Aaliyah since leaving the Metro, so Mia knows of Ali's shyness.

"So... what do we do on a... hangout?" Aaliyah asked.

"Let's go to Arowana Mall. To look around the many shops." Mia suggested.

"O-Oh. Okay." Aaliyah said, and then she held Mia's hand, knowing that Mia will lead the way. Because Aaliyah wasn't really the "leader" type of Octoling.

"Alright, let's walk there. It'll be nice to get some exercise." Mia requested.

"Okay." Aaliyah replied.

* * *

***scene change: outside. Sidewalk to Arowana Mall***

"S-So... Mia..." Aaliyah mumbled as she was walking on the sidewalk to the mall.

"Hm? What is it, Aaliyah?" Mia hummed as she turned her head a bit as she kept on walking.

"What do you... do? In your free time?" Aaliyah asked.

"Just draw or watch anime. That's all. Other than that, it's tough to try and keep my apartment since my job as an Agent." Mia explained. The kept on walking for a couple more minutes before Mia broke the silence.

"How do you think money gets transferred to keep my apartment, Aaliyah?" Mia asked. Aaliyah tried to speak, but all that really came out were silent stutters.

"Aaliyah?" Mia asked.

"Bills..." Aaliyah mumbled, but her voice was very quiet, so Mia still couldn't hear.

"Aaliyah, speak up, please." The third Agent commanded, a bit of annoyance in her tone.

"I-I don't know. Through bills." Aaliyah stammered.

"Ugh, no. It gets paid through _me_." Mia groaned.

"O-Oh... okay..." Aaliyah said quietly. And they didn't really talk to each other through the rest of their walk to the mall.

When the two cephalopods reached Arowana Mall, they walked in and greeted nearby squids and octopodes who were going in and out. None of the two had any idea what to buy, si they just did some window shopping, and just looked around each of the many shops.

_Approximately 20 minutes later..._

.

Mia and Aaliyah came out of another shop, mainly a clothes shop with accessories added into it.

"That was fun! It was nice to explore these shops!" Mia cheered.

"Yeah, it... was kinda fun, especially with you, Mia." Aaliyah said shyly.

"Anyway, Aaliyah... wanna go get some ice cream?" Mia asked.

"Sure!" Aaliyah chirped excitedly. Mia motioned her hand, giving the sign language of "come with me". And Aaliyah slowly follows.

There was a small little ice cream shop, mainly used for taking the frozen treats on the go.

Mia and Aaliyah stood in line for about five minutes before they can ask for their order.

"Well, hello there, you two. What can I do for you today?" An Inkling boy with white hair asked.

"Hm, I'm gonna have mint chocolate chip, and in a waffle cone, please." Mia said. And then Agent 3 turned her head to Aaliyah.

"What would you like, Ali?" Mia asked.

"Chocolate." Aaliyah whispered.

"And she will have _that _please." Mia said while pointing to a chocolate _dipped _ice cream on the menu.

"Alright, one mint chocolate chip, and one chocolate dipped cone. Will that be okay for you two?" The man asked for the final touches.

"It's vanilla dipped in chocolate, Aaliyah. That alright?" Mia asked. Aaliyah didn't know how to respond. She just opened her mouth and stammered some nonsense. Mia was getting pretty fed up with that.

"Grr... Aaliyah, what is your frickin problem?" Mia exclaimed, very annoyed at the innocent Octoling. The man behind the counter already was making the ice cream.

"D... Don't swear at me..." Aaliyah pleaded, a slight whimper added.

"Sigh... you're right, I should't have done that. Sorry, Ali." Mia said, putting one of her hands on her face.

"It's okay, Mia. I forgive you." Aaliyah said innocently.

* * *

More time has passed, and the two finished their ice cream. They were checking out one more shop for squid phones before they decided to leave. Aaliyah just sat on a bench while Mia was talking to one of the shopkeepers about the phone she had with her right now.

While Aaliyah was daydreaming, but after a couple minutes of doing so... there was something that caught Aaliyah's eye.

There were two small posters on one of the small desks. One had a white frame, while the other had a black one. It's almost like they were light and darkness. And then... there was a small image of mysterious things on each of the posters.

**(WARNING: Spoilers for World of Light in Smash Ultimate. If you haven't completed World of Light yet, DO NOT look below!)**

On the poster with the white frame, there was... something that Aaliyah didn't recognize. The thing was a giant ball of light, surrounded by giant white wings, some of them glowing orange, and the other glowing blue.

On the poster with the black frame, there was another thing that the innocent Octoling doesn't know about. It was a giant eyeball: blue as its natural color, black pupil, but surrounded with a black outline. Surrounding it were these ugly, black tentacles, and they all had red pointers at the end of them.

And at each of them was some kind of mysterious wording. The white frame one said "Give in and get consumed by light. We'll erase the darkness.". And the black frame one said "Give in and get swallowed by darkness. We'll erase the light.".

**(Spoilers end here.)**

Aaliyah, not knowing how to react to something so scary, yet weird, put the posters back. Just in time, Mia was done talking, and she was coming towards her.

"Do you need to use the bathroom before we leave?" Agent 3 asked. Aaliyah got startled by that, not only because she was in a daydreaming trance, but the fact that out of all questions, _THAT _was the question the female Agent asked.

"Geeeeeeeeeez! I'm not a little octopus anymore!" Aaliyah whined.

"Sigh... I was just asking, Aaliyah." Mia groaned.

"Let's just leave... I think I'll go back home..." Aaliyah said quietly, and she stood up. Mia got surprised by that.

_"Does she not like our hangout?" _Mia thought, _"Wait... no. That's not it. Aaliyah can't speak up for herself. I'm gonna have to teach her that, to help her in this world so she can have a better time around other squids."_

"Aaliyah, remember! We're going out for lunch!" Mia called out.

"O-Oh, r-right. Sorry..." Aaliyah said quietly.

"It's quite alright. Now come, let's go." Mia replied, and she walked along, with Aaliyah following behind.

* * *

**Author's Note: Yes, I HAD to mention those two in those posters. I just love Smash Ultimate SO FREAKING MUCH, I felt like I had to do this XD. Anyway, like it so far? It might be a while before the next chapter comes. I still gotta work on Depressink and Inkopolis Chaos.**

**Anyway, Stay Fresh, everyone! And Smash until the very end! ;)**


	2. Lunch Time

**Aaaaaaannnnnnd a new chapter for this has appeared! Get ready for a wild ride of helping, especially for a quiet person like Aaliyah. Also, two special guests are going to appear in this story, so be on the lookout for them!**

**Welp, here we go! :D**

* * *

The two girls didn't really leave the mall just yet. With every mall, there is a small restaurant. There was one called "Friyay's". Apparently, this restaurant is very popular on the weekends. Sometimes on a Friday as well.

"I love it here. You'll like the food here, Aaliyah." Mia said.

"Ok." Was all Aaliyah said in response. So they walk inside the small restaurant.

It wasn't too packed, but there was certainly a lot of people there, whether they were sitting at a table eating their food, just getting their given seats, or just the staff members in general.

Behind the two girls, there were two Inklings that are chatting to each other. Mia recognized the Inkling boy that has slick, white hair. This was Redd's childhood friend, Jay. But the other was a girl with purple hair and white skin that neither of them recognized.

"Oh! Mia! I didn't expect to see you here!" Jay greeted.

"Hi, Jay. Same here, didn't expect you." Mia said with a wave.

"Oh? Jay, are these the people you have been telling me about?" The Inkling girl asked.

"Oh, yeah! Mia, this is Chany! I met her yesterday." Jay reminded.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Chany. I'm Mia." Mia said as she offers a handshake. Chany accepts it. Mia's grip was tight, but not too tight so she isn't too rude.

"Also, you two. I would like you to meet Aaliyah." Mia added. She turns to the innocent Octoling.

"Aaliyah, this is Jay. And right beside him is Chany." Mia whispered.

"H-Hello, Jay. And y-you too, Chany." Aaliyah greeted, but her voice was quiet.

"You're pretty quiet." Chany reminded.

"You'll have to excuse Aaliyah. She's very shy." Mia said.

"I don't think I've ever met a shy Octoling before." Chany responded.

"Oh! You're Aaliyah! Redd has told me about you!" Jay squealed.

"Oh. H-He did?" Aaliyah asked.

"Yes. It's really nice to meet you in person, Aaliyah!" Jay replied, and he gave Aaliyah a handshake. Unlike Mia, Aaliyah's grip was more gentle, and her handshake was pretty slow.

"So, what have you two been doing?" Chany asked.

"We've been hanging out. We went to Arowana Mall to do some window shopping." Mia responded.

"That's nice! Mind if we join you guys if you're gonna continue?" Jay requested.

_"I mean, this _was _a girl hangout... but they're Redd's friends, so I'll have to give this one." _Mia thought.

"Should we?" Aaliyah asked the third agent.

"Sure. We can have lunch together." Mia said to the two.

"Awesome!" Jay cheered.

"I'm glad as well." Chany added.

* * *

The group waited for their seats for about 15 minutes. They were relieved when they can finally sit down and talk, and away from crowded people. Especially for Aaliyah since she gets really nervous at times when in between crowds.

The lights were dim, so everything was dark, but there was enough light for anyone to see.

"Hello, welcome to Friyay's," The waitress, an Inkling girl with short, orange hair, greeted, "Is this your first time here?"

"Both of us had." Jay and Chany said in unison.

"I've also been here before, but my Octoling friend here hasn't. It's her first time." Mia explained.

"Well, would you like to look at our specials that we have for this week? Or any drinks that are available for a limited time?" The waitress asked.

"N-No. No beer. I don't want that stuff." Aaliyah said, a bit nervously.

"Okay, so here are the menus. May I ask what you want for something to drink?" The waitress requested the orders.

"I'm gonna have lemonade please." Mia replied.

"I'll have... ooh, this looks interesting! Raspberry tea." Chany said.

"I'm just gonna have fruit punch." Jay added.

"And I'll have chocolate milk." Aaliyah said, but she said it a little louder so the nice Inkling can hear her.

"Okay, I will be right back." She responded, and then left as she put in the final orders on her notepad. Now that _that _was over, the group picks up their menus and scroll through the pages for different foods. After some time has passed, the group finally started talking.

"So, Mia... do you know where Redd is? Because you are his sister." Jay asked.

"He's a little busy, with... certain stuff." Mia replied, but a bit nervously. Jay stares in confusion, but he realized why Mia was nervous when saying that, so he chuckled.

"It's fine, Mia. I know about the New Squidbeak Splatoon. I know Redd is Agent 4." Jay whispered.

"Oh, thank cod." Mia sighed in relief.

"Well, since I have just met you two... tell me about yourselves." Chany insisted.

"Eh heh... there's not a lot to know about _me_," Mia said with a small laugh, "I'm just a normal Inkling, and I relax a lot. I draw a lot, and I also watch anime. But most recently, I've been watching some movies."

"What kind of movies?" Chany asked.

"Action movies. Most specifically about Marvel, with their superheroes."

"Holy carp, yes! I've heard about them! Are you going to see the new one? Captain Marvel?"

"Captain Marvel looks SOOOOOOOOOOO cool!" Mia squealed in excitement.

"Hey, if you're going to see it, let me come with you!" Chany requested.

"Sure thing!" Mia said with a nod.

"Oh yeah! How about you, Aaliyah? What should I know about you?" Chany asked the innocent Octoling.

"Hmm... well, I don't have any hobbies. I don't know what you'll find unique about me." Aaliyah responded quietly.

"Aw, that makes sense. You are pretty shy." Jay sighed.

"So... what _do _you do?" Chany asked, deepening the question.

"Not much. I just... relax in my room... sometimes I watch Turf Wars." Aaliyah said.

"Oh! Have you ever participated in one?" Chany exclaimed excitedly.

"No... I don't know how to use a weapon..." Aaliyah mumbled.

"You never practiced? Is that why?" Chany raised her eyebrow and tilted her head as she asked that question. Aaliyah just held her left arm with her light as she slightly looks away.

The innocent Octoling just slightly shook her head.

"Then why?"

Aaliyah couldn't respond to the question right away. She didn't want to tell a new friend about anything personal. She thinks she shared it to enough people. All she did was stutter silently.

"Hello, Inkopolis to Aaliyah! I'm talking to you!" Chany yelled angrily as she waved her hand in front of the Octoling's face. Ali just looked at Chany in the eye. She seemed kinda annoyed.

"I... can't tell you..." Aaliyah said quietly. The waitress came back with their drinks.

"Alright, here you go." She said kindly as she put each of the requested drinks for each person. The group thanked her for each of them.

"Now, do you need a minute to look over the menu, or are you ready?" The Inkling asked.

"We're ready." Jay replied.

"Alright, so I'm gonna have the small burger slider things. I'm on a small diet, I don't wanna eat too much." Mia explained.

"I'm gonna have the sirloin steak." Jay said.

"I'm gonna go for a burger! A big one!" Chany exclaimed, "And also, don't put too many toppings. Just lettuce, onions, a tomato, and some ketchup."

"And I'll have mac & cheese." Aaliyah added.

"Alright, thank you guys. I'll be taking your menus now." The waitress said with a big smile. The group gave her the menus, and she nods as she walks away to give away the orders to the chefs so they can prepare their food.

"So, um... Aaliyah. Why do you have trouble answering a question?" Jay asked.

"O-Oh. W-Well, um..." Aaliyah stammered.

"It's ok, Aaliyah. I can answer for you if you're having trouble." Mia whispered. Aaliyah just slowly nods.

"Well, Aaliyah has trouble speaking up for herself. And her mind processes a little different since she's an Octoling. A... quiet one," Mia explained, "So, I suggest you don't rush her when you ask her a question. She's still learning."

"She has trouble?" Chany asked.

"Well, she's an introvert, so she spends some time alone. I'm helping her learn to speak up for herself." Mia replied with a smile. Aaliyah managed to smile back since she knew she had a friend that cares about her very much.

"That makes sense! We can help out too, we know plenty of Inklings who are nice!" Jay said with excitement.

"I-I don't know... I don't wanna be bullied, since that's what happened to me when I was little." Aaliyah admitted.

"I guess we should start easy then. Baby steps, you know." Chany suggested.

"Yeah. But for now, let's wait for our food. We don't wanna make the poor Octoling flustered." Mia responded. Aaliyah nods in agreement.

* * *

***15 minutes later...***

The waitress came back with their food that they asked for. They thank her, and she walks away to let them be.

"Wow. That is a big burger." Jay complimented, a little surprised as well.

"Well, I'm a big eater. What can I say? At least I work out to keep my body in shape." Chany said with a shrug, and then took a sip of her raspberry tea.

Aaliyah stares at her mac and cheese. It looked pretty delicious. She looked at the napkin that had utensils inside it, so she took the napkin and sets it near her plate. As she looked at the utensils, she looked at the knife and it made her a little scared.

So she slightly touches the bottom part of the knife to move it away from her. Luckily no one noticed her do that. After that, Aaliyah grabbed a spoon that was part of the utensils that were given. Before she was about to grab a spoonful...

"Oh, hey Aaliyah. I think you should use a fork instead." Mia suggested.

"You use a fork to eat mac and cheese?" Aaliyah asked.

"Well, that's how my parents taught me. You must've been taught a different way." Mia replied.

"Yeah," Aaliyah said, "As an Octoling, we didn't have a lot of access to utensils. My mommy and daddy were lucky. And... they just taught me to do that: eat mac and cheese with a spoon."

"Oh. Your parents must've been really nice." Mia complimented.

"You know, before I used a spoon, I actually used to eat mac and cheese with my hands. They got really messy after that." Aaliyah giggled.

"Wow! What a nasty child you were, ya little sausage!" Chany joked, and the group had a nice laugh after that.

"But I'll try it. I'll use a fork." Aaliyah said with a nod and a smile. She let go of the spoon and picked up the fork, and gently uses it to pick up a couple small pieces of the cheese-covered pasta.

She took a bite, and avoided letting her teeth touch the metal of the fork.

"It's easier isn't it?" Mia asked with a smile.

"Now that you mention it, it kinda is. Sometimes, some of the macaroni falls off the spoon when I try it _that _way." Aaliyah replied.

"I'm glad you're open-minded about that, Ali." Mia responded, putting an arm around her friend. Aaliyah smiled back. Jay and Chany were happy to see such a sight.

Mia soon went back to eating her own food.

* * *

***scene change: Deepsea Metro Central Station***

"BEGONE YA FOOL!" A male Inkling screamed. Red ink was fired at a sanitized Octoling before she was completely splatted. The ink was left as a small puddle as the little, teal octopus ghost floats up into nothing.

The screen changes to the user of the red ink that was fired: it was Redd, and he was in his Agent outfit.

"Heh, that sanitized Octoling got nothing with us together." Redd said with a smirk as he twirled his Hero Shot in his hand before strapping it back onto his belt. As it turns out, Caleb was behind him.

"Nice shot right there, Redd." Caleb complimented.

"As an Agent, it was necessary." Redd replied with a spin, his cape flowing as a result.

"Should we go back to the train? Cap'n is waiting for us. We might find some more clues." Caleb asked.

"Sure. I'll meet ya there, dude." Redd responded with a toothy grin, and then walks to the train that had its doors open. Before Caleb walked inside, he stopped in his tracks, and then started daydreaming.

He seemed a little worried about something.

"'Ey, y'all right, Caleb?" Redd asked as he snaps his fingers. Caleb looks at the fourth agent.

"It's fine, Redd. I'm just thinking about Aaliyah." Caleb confessed.

"Aw, don't worry, dude! Aaliyah is a tough girl on the inside, she can handle it!" Redd exclaimed, his smile making Caleb smile a little. But he still seemed worried.

"But what if someone tries to hurt her? You do know her past, right?" Caleb asked.

"Yeah, I know. But Mia will protect her. Plus, she tried a Splattershot once! I'm sure Ali will be just fine." Redd insisted.

"Hm. You're right, Redd. I've been worrying a lot." Caleb sighed. Redd just snickered and pats Caleb's back.

"Hey, if you two are done, we're about to leave soon. Don't get left behind." A voice said. There was slow slithering in front of them, and it turned out to be C.Q. Cumber.

"We're coming, C.Q.! Just give us a couple seconds!" Caleb called out.

"Don't take too long." Cumber warned, and then slowly slithers away, which takes about 30 seconds until the slug is out of sight.

"Let's get back on the train. Our mission isn't done yet." Agent 8 reminded, and Redd nods in agreement. They walk inside the subway train, and the doors close behind them. The train leaves once the doors are fully closed.

* * *

**A/N: And we're done! Finally, this chapter is done, I'm glad to make this. And yep, this is my first fanfic to star C.Q. Cumber. I felt like it had to be necessary. XD**

**Anyway, Stay Fresh and see you another time! :D**

**Featuring: Chany. Chany is made by the Guest that asks me questions. You'll find her in each of my recent stories.**

**And Jay. Jay is made by InkBoyJay, so be sure to check him out, cause my OC, Redd, stars in a story he made called "Splatoon 2: Revenge Of The Revived". Be sure to check that out if you haven't! :)**

**C.Q.: You explained some random stuff- test failed.**

***I see the bag filling up with teal ink***

**OH NO YA DON'T! *takes off bag quickly and throws it at C.Q. He just gets covered in teal ink when it explodes.**

**Ok, bye now. :D**


	3. Movies

**I'm currently working on Depressink at the moment. I am very busy throughout these months, so new chapters will come at very later dates. But don't think I ever stop there for one little situation. ;)**

**Anyway, time for the next chapter of this specific story. Enjoy! :D**

* * *

"You're not gonna take your drink with you?" Mia asked the shy Octoling sitting right next to her.

"No, not really." Aaliyah replied. She only drank half of her chocolate milk in the cup. It was a kid's size with a lid and a straw, since maybe Aaliyah didn't feel that thirsty.

"You know you can take it with you." Mia reminded.

"But... I don't really want to." Aaliyah said.

"I don't understand, Aaliyah. You act just like Redd. Though I can get stubborn at times, I hate when people are stubborn to _me._" Mia snapped.

"I... I wasn't doing anything wrong." Aaliyah said innocently.

"If she doesn't want to take it, don't force her." Chany suggested as she was writing down her name on the signature line of the bill that came a few seconds ago.

"You know, guys, I'm just trying to help her with the real world," Mia explained with an annoyed sigh, "From what I have been knowing from her, Aaliyah just isolates in her room for most days. You know that anyone needs to go out and do something. Especially if it means interacting with other people."

"I understand, Mia. That's why Chany and I are here as well! To help anyone!" Jay added with a smile.

"Mia, we should go to the movie theater. I want to see Captain Marvel." Chany squealed.

"I do too! I just need to check some availability times." Mia responded. Since learning about the Marvel universe, she wanted to know about many different superheroes from those universes.

It was only a matter of seconds before Chany and Mia started talking about the Marvel universe.

"You like superheroes, Aaliyah?" Jay asked as he walked to where the innocent Octoling was standing.

"W-Well, um... I'm not really a fan of action movies," Aaliyah admitted, "And I haven't seen lots of movies either. The only movies I really watched were... some kid movies when I was very little. When I still... lived with my parents."

"Ah, yes. I see why. You're not a fan of violence." Jay pointed out. Aaliyah nodded in response.

"Well, I do happen to be a fan of Marvel myself. But... to be honest, I don't think I'm the biggest fan like these two are." The white haired Inkling replied.

"Well, Jay, I think you're fine if you just have a favorite super hero like Chany and I do." Mia said as she walks to them.

"My fave is Spider-Man." Jay responded.

"HELL YEAH! He's _my _favorite too!" Mia squealed.

"I'm glad you think so, Mia! It's always awesome to see that we have in common!" Jay cheered in excitement.

"I really liked the new one though. Peter Parker is so funny in that version!" Mia laughed.

"Right!? For real, I just hope that when Endgame comes out, it'll be the best movie for this generation!" Chany added.

"Okay, lemme check the theaters, to see if they have any available." Mia said, and then grabbed her squid phone out of her pocket and started searching searching the theater in Woomgle for any availability.

"So, is there anything else any of you have planned?" Chany asked.

"Not really." Aaliyah replied.

"Same here. I didn't have anything to do for today, until I saw that I want to hang out with you guys." Jay added.

"I have to say, though, you guys are a nice bunch." Chany complimented.

"Ooh! Guys, there's one happening later, around 2:00 PM today!" Mia squealed, getting the attention of her friends.

"Yes! I am _so _coming with you to see it! I've looked at the trailers, I know it's gonna be _amazing!_" Chany cheered.

"Yeah!" Mia agreed, but then she realized something, "But wait... Ali doesn't like action movies. Since... you know, she doesn't like violence."

"I'll stay with Aaliyah," Jay offered, "After all, you were saying you were teaching her to talk with others. I'll help her out with it. I may kinda like her, but as it turns out, there's some stuff that I have in common with other people."

"But don't you wanna see Captain Marvel, too?" Mia asked.

"I do. But I'll watch it with my parents when they get the chance." Jay replied.

"Alright, that's fine, Jay! And we promise that when Mia and I are done watching the movie, that we won't... spoil any important parts." Chany explained.

"Yeah, heh... I do want to keep it spoiler free." Jay said nervously.

"Well, let's go! We don't wanna be late, and we don't want any obstacles later on!" Mia suggested, her voice a little quiet so she doesn't alert any people that were in this restaurant.

"After you, Mia!" Chany offered.

* * *

***scene: Inkopolis Movie Theater (IMT)***

The group has arrived at the theater. As it turns out, there were many people that were around to see latest movies that were currently showing.

Without a doubt, Mia and Chany do _not _wanna miss this opportunity. Even if it means waiting in line.

Time went by. The line was pretty small, so it didn't take too long before the group can finally get their ticket.

"Good afternoon, and welcome to IMT. How may I help you today?" An Inkling boy with curvy, pink hair greeted from behind the other side of the counter.

"Two tickets. For Captain Marvel." Mia said as she approached said counter.

"Uh... two? But there's four of you." The guy pointed out.

"Aaliyah and I aren't gonna see the movie. It's just Mia and Chany." Jay stated.

With that being said, Mia gave a certain amount of gold coins to the kind man. And he took them, put it in the register, and eventually puts two tickets on the palm of the third agent's right hand.

"Enjoy the movie, you two." The man said with a kind smile.

"Darn right we will!" Chany cheered. They open the doors after leaving the line, and now they're in the main lobby.

Like before, it was _kinda _dark. But there were lots of lights, so it was way less darker than the restaurant was.

"Alright, Chany. Let's get some popcorn." Mia offered, as she pointed to another line, where different foods were.

"Can I have cheese on mine?" Chany asked.

"Alright. Half cheese, half butter. That's how we'll split it." Mia replied.

"Deal!" Chany shouted. While Mia and Chany were standing in the back of the line to get some popcorn, Jay and Aaliyah were sitting by a table, where many Inklings and Octolings were talking to each other at other tables, about movies and other topics that comes to mind.

"Alright, Aaliyah. You want to go talk with someone?" Jay whispered.

"I... don't want to." Aaliyah said nervously.

"That's understandable. Do you at least think any other friends you have made are here?"

"Not really."

"Oh yeah, and um, besides Redd and Mia. What other friends do you have?"

"I also know Redd's best friends, Joel and David. Joel is very tough, sometimes has anger issues... but he's really smart, and is kind as well. David is also smart about specific things. Sometimes he gets nervous and stressed easily. But like Joel, he is very kind."

"Anyone else?"

"I know an Octoling boy. His name is Caleb. He doesn't remember his past since he has amnesia, but he is very nice, very strong, kinda smart, and... he always comes to my side whenever I'm feeling down."

"He must really care about you." Jay reminded.

"He really does. I haven't seen an Octoling boy in a long time. Meeting him was one of the first in a while." Aaliyah responded.

"Since when, though?" Jay asked.

"Since... the orphanage I was raised in." Aaliyah muttered.

"You were in an orphanage your whole life?" Jay exclaimed.

"No. It was since I was seven years old," Aaliyah explained, "My parents passed away around that time. It was hard. But luckily, when I was in the orphanage, there-"

"Hey! We're gonna see the movie! We'll compliment how good it is to you guys later on!" Chany interrupted while holding a bag on cheese popcorn in her hands.

"Yeah, I agree! You two have fun!" Mia cheered, holding a bag of buttered popcorn. And then she and Chany left to go see their hyped action movie. Jay and Aaliyah just waved at them until they weren't seen.

"So, anyway, um... what would you like to do?" Jay asked, not wanting to ask Ali about the orphanage again, since it seemed very personal.

"I dunno." Aaliyah replied while slightly shrugging her shoulders.

"Marcus, I told ya. There's some times I'm okay with certain battles, and some times that I'm just not." A voice said to another Inkling. Aaliyah recognized the voice straight off the bat.

It was Joel.

She peeked over to see where he was, and eventually she saw him. Along with a way taller Inkling with dark green hair, a green shirt, and blue shoes. Along with long, black pants.

"Joel, Joel. Ranked is good, and I enjoy it too. And I understand your pain with certain weapons, and how good certain people are at using them." The taller Inkling, known as Marcus, replied.

"I swear to cod, if I get splatted by another person with a Splattershot Jr., I'm gonna throw my Dualies out the window." Joel ranted.

"Geez. I guess you gotta do Salmon Run, then." Marcus suggested.

"My plan exactly." Joel agreed.

"Uh... Joel?" Aaliyah said quietly, attempting to get his attention. Luckily for the innocent Octoling, it works.

"Oh, hey, Aaliyah! What are you doing here?" Joel greeted.

"Well, Mia wanted to see Captain Marvel. I'm staying with Jay here, to... uh... do stuff." Aaliyah replied nervously.

"Joel has been referencing you at times, and you must be here. I'm Marcus. It's a pleasure." Marcus said as he approaches Aaliyah, extending his hand for a handshake. The Octoling accepts it.

"So, what are you two doing here?"

"Well, I wanted to go out for today, and my first plan was to the movie theater to see what is out right now," Joel explained, "I'm not sure what I want to see yet, but I think Marcus and I will see something sooner or later."

"That's good. Oh, and this is Jay. He's one of Redd's friends. I met him a couple hours ago." Aaliyah said as she stood aside to let Jay look at the two.

Joel and Marcus introduce themselves, and Jay does the same thing. Looks like a small hangout like this was enough to pass the time.

"I didn't know Redd met Jay before he met us! He seems very nice!" Joel complimented.

"Heh heh... thanks. We've known each other for a while, parted ways for some time, and we eventually met back up again." Jay explained.

"Yeah, that's longtime friends in a nutshell for you." Marcus teased. Aaliyah and Jay managed to giggle at that. Marcus reached for his small bag, and pulls out a small 8-ball.

"Oh, magic malicious 8-ball... is this a nice group hangout for once?" The tall Inkling asked, and then shakes it. A response comes up after the shaking was over.

**"Test Failed" **was the response.

"Carp. The darn 'test failed' again." Marcus groaned.

"It's way too often, Marcus. We should get an upgraded version." Joel insisted.

"But we should do something else for now. Let's go walk around the park. It's right by here, you know!" Jay suggested.

"You know, that's a good idea," Joel agreed, "Let's go there for an hour or so, then meet back here to meet up with the girls, so they don't know we're gone for too long."

"Yeah. I just wanna see them happy when they enjoyed them movie." Aaliyah added, a cute smile on her face.

"Follow me, guys. I'm tall, so look for me in case you get lose." Marcus teased, and walks ahead of the group as he walks to the doors. Jay, Joel and Aaliyah immediately follow him.

One of the lights glow brighter for a second before going back to a regular dim.

* * *

***2 hours later***

The group is back at the theater after being outside for this time. Aaliyah managed to just go out and say hi to a few people that were also there. Some even wanted to talk for a little bit.

Of course, Ali needed help with that since her shyness and anxiety builded up. But like Jay and Chany mentioned before, it's baby steps. So it's not too impactful.

As the group was sitting by that same table talking about some moments at the park, Mia and Chany finally walk over to them.

"Hey, guys! We're back!" Mia greeted.

"Captain Marvel was AWESOME! One of the BEST movies I have ever seen! I want to watch it again!" Chany shrieked in delight.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, Mia and Chany," Aaliyah giggled, "While you were gone, Jay, Joel, Marcus and I were walking in the park. To enjoy the nature."

"Were you talking with some people?" Mia asked.

"She said hi to some. She got nervous at times when people were asking her questions, so we had to help her out." Jay answered.

"Not to mention that... sometimes, Aaliyah still said "I don't know" as some answers." Joel added.

"But at least she's getting it, Joel." Marcus said. And the group talks some more about some more stuff, ranging from many different topics. And nothing about the movie was spoiled for Jay.

"Would you like anything before we leave, Aaliyah?" Mia asked the shy Octoling.

"I'm fine. But thanks for asking." Aaliyah replied.

"Wow. S**tty response. I gotta say, I would've expected some more sass." A voice boomed. Mia and Aaliyah stand up and look around.

"What's up?" Jay asked.

"We're gonna check out some things. It's by job." Mia whispered in his left ear. Jay just nods as a response. Aaliyah and Mia walk to one of the more open areas of the theater.

There was no one else around.

"Who said that?" Mia asked herself.

"Up here." The voice said again. Aaliyah looks around frantically, kinda nervous about it. Mia nudges her, and points upwards. Aaliyah looks up, and sees one the the lights were wobbling.

Soon, the light fell, making the two yelp and jump out of the way. Upon impact of the floor... the light somehow didn't break. It was like a normal stage light would look like. Just not with broken glass anywhere.

"How... did that not break?" Mia groaned.

"I don't know. But that's kinda creepy." Aaliyah responded.

"I have a name, you know. It's Flasher." The light reminded.

"Are you an imaginary friend of a good person?" Aaliyah asked.

"Mind you, I'm more than an imaginary friend. I'm very mysterious, that I'm not allowed to tell you." Flasher replied.

"Okay then, Flasher. Why are you here?" Mia demanded an answer.

"Nothing much, honestly," Flasher explained, "See, I have my own world. I'm from _that _one. I came to kinda "visit" your world to see what it's like. I must say, it's like any other world. Just with more of these creatures."

"Wait, you know what an Inkling is? And an Octoling?" Mia exclaimed.

"Oh, of course. I've known them for a long time." Flasher responded.

"But you said you're from another world." Aaliyah said.

"A multiverse. A combination of worlds, uh-dur." Flasher exclaimed sassily.

"I don't even know where to begin with this." Mia sighed.

"Ah, don't worry about it. Just remember that I'm anywhere that light is at." Flasher said, and then unleashes a small wave of light. Aaliyah and Mia were now seeing what looks like bright, yellow clouds.

"Does this hallucination appeal to you? It's like you're in another world, but with light." Flasher explained.

"I... don't know what to say." Aaliyah said quietly.

"My goodness, do you not respond so loudly? Guess you're not a loud mouth. Nor a girl from another world far beyond this one." Flasher ranted.

"Well, FLASHER... if you'll excuse us, we're gonna be leaving now." Mia huffed, and then walks away, with Aaliyah following right behind, and the hallucination going away.

Flasher floats in the air, not damaged by the fall from earlier.

"Grah ha ha... bold to assume that I won't have the last laugh." Flasher evilly chuckled, and then... some white, glowing wings were formed. And then Flasher disappeared completely.

But is Flasher really what they think?

* * *

**A/N: No, Flasher is NOT an original. If you saw the wing part, you'll know who it is XD. And Marcus is minor as well.**

**Anyway, that's all I got for now. Cya next time, and Stay Fresh! ;)**


	4. Thoughts

**Alright, back here with another chapter in another story. Once this story is finished, I'm gonna focus more on Inkopolis Chaos so I don't have to transition between stories every time. XD**

**But here's the chapter for this story. Hope you enjoy! :)**

* * *

The group was walking out of the movie theater. Most of the day was almost done, since it is currently 4:45 PM right now.

"Boy, I can't wait for Endgame! It's gonna be so awesome!" Mia squealed.

"I agree. Let me come with you sometime so we can watch it together!" Chany suggested.

"Let's exchange numbers. So we can keep in contact." Mia said. Chany nods, and she takes out her squid phone so they can get each other's numbers. Mia does the same, and they do their process.

"Hey, Aaliyah. How about we do the same?" Jay asked.

"Okay." Aaliyah replied, and they did the same thing. Jay smiled since he was finally able to meet one of Redd's friends. Well, he did meet Joel at the theater, but Aaliyah was technically the first one for the white-haired Inkling.

After 2 minutes, the two were done with their exchanging.

"So, who else do you have in contact with?" Jay questioned.

"Oh, um... just Redd, Mia, Caleb... Joel, David... and that's about it." Aaliyah responded.

"Ah, okay! I was about to get Mia's and Chany's numbers as well." Jay said.

"Let's make a group chat then!" Chany suggested.

"I-I don't know if I'll be too fine with that." Jay replied with a nervous smile.

"Yeah, I get it. Sometimes they can get overwhelming. The only group chat that _I'm _in... is just, well, some friends I had since middle school." Mia explained.

"Do you talk to them at times?" Chany asked.

"I'm not chatting their often, but once in a while, I come in to say hello and talk about stuff." Mia replied.

"That's cool, Mia!" Chany cheered. Mia just giggles at the enthusiasm. And soon they began to get into a conversation, with Mia starting with her times that she had with her friends at school.

Aaliyah grabbed her phone, and looked at the contacts. And yes, she had every number that she explained to Jay, including Jay himself. But... there was one person that Aaliyah _didn't _mention to the white-haired Inkling.

The contact only read the name "Tina", and had her number, and nothing else. Aaliyah just sighs once seeing the name, and then just strokes the back of her phone, since she knows there's nothing else that she could do.

"You ready to go, Aaliyah?" Mia asked as soon as she was done with her conversation.

"Oh, yeah. I'm ready." Aaliyah responded. She looked at the sky. It was starting to get a little dark. Cause they _have _been in the movie theater for a while, and Ali was just in the park with Joel, Marcus and Jay.

Aaliyah looks down at the ground. She was in a deep trance from just a few seconds of staring.

She jumped once she felt Mia put her hand on the innocent Octoling's shoulder. But she appreciated the touch anyway, since Mia was her friend, who happened to be a protector against the evil Octarians.

"What's on your mind?" Mia asked.

"Just... *sigh* I don't know, Mia. I barely even made progress today at the park. I just... don't feel like I can go up to a person and talk to them directly." Aaliyah answered.

"Well, I'm glad that you're taking small steps though, Ali," Mia said, "I mean, I'm not much of an extrovert myself. Redd is one, too. But he just feels like talking about the same stuff to different people, since that's what our kind is into nowadays. Not that I'm against it, since I love Turf Wars a lot."

"But... you're an Agent. I always thought you were an extrovert, since... well, you actually work hard to help Inkopolis." Aaliyah pointed out.

"It's part of my job. But I have to keep this a secret to everyone since they should not find out what we truly do in order to save the Zapfish, and all that." Mia explained.

"But I also feel like... I feel left out. Even from Octolings, I'm... different." Aaliyah confessed. Mia looked confused on why the shy Octoling would think of such a thing like that. Even for Agent standards, who has been fighting Octarians for a long time.

"Why...? Why am I... even here? What purpose do I exist for in this world?" Aaliyah asked herself.

"Aaliyah... stop being so hard on yourself." Mia said with a sigh.

"But all the bad stuff about me is true, isn't it?" Aaliyah asked.

"No, it isn't. Some Inklings aren't ready to accept every Octoling just yet." Mia responded.

"Mia... you're very kind." Aaliyah complimented.

"Oh, it was nothing. Just trying to help. That's what an Agent does, right?" Mia giggled.

"Hm. Yes, you're right." Aaliyah said with a small smile.

"Hey, guys! I'm gonna be leaving now! We should talk tomorrow, it's gonna be a beautiful day!" Jay called out while waving, and then ran along the sidewalk.

"Same. I have some late-night stuff I have to deal with. But we're definitely gonna see each other again!" Chany shouted, and then followed Jay. Mia and Aaliyah just wave at their friends until they're completely gone.

Ali and Mia look at each other and smile. They were glad to have some friends on this small adventure.

But some dark energy was seething throughout one of the potted plants. A black-like tentacle, with the pointy end of it being red.

"Sometimes being lonely is the way to go." A voice said, and then the tentacle retreated back.

* * *

***meanwhile, in the Deepsea Metro...***

"Phew! That sure was a lot of work. There's no trace of anything sanitized, apart from those Octolings we battled." Redd exclaimed as he lays down on the long seat inside the subway train.

"Yeah. I'm glad we got it over with, though. Hopefully more people will get to the promised land and feel that freedom." Caleb said.

"Oh-ho, you can say that again! With that darn phone gone, more Octos are gonna be able to come to Inkopolis!" Cap'n Cuttlefish cheered as he slowly walks over to the duo. And the three relax as the train returns back to the Central System.

It's gonna be a while until they get here, so Caleb decided to talk.

"Hey, Cap'n? Can I... ask you something?" Caleb asked.

"Go right ahead. I'm all ears." Cuttlefish said.

"I just want to know... if you're really okay with Octolings coming. Especially since Agent 3 told me your countless adventures." Caleb questioned.

"Bucko, I knew Octolings since back then, when Octavio was still my friend," Cuttlefish explained, "And just because he hates our kind... doesn't mean that _I _do. Since meeting you, there was a chance from hearing the Calamari Inkantation, it was in there that Octolings were meant to live alongside us. So don't worry about feeling left out! You got a lot of friends by your side to help you out!"

"Like me!" Redd chipped in as he scooted closer to Caleb.

"Hey, Redd? Do you and Mia always get along? Because sometimes, you two... get angry and yell at each other." Caleb questioned.

"Dude, Mia and I are siblings. That's what we do: we argue about anything stupid, and then the next day, or an hour later, we get along again. Like it never even happened." Redd chuckled.

"But... Jenny is still mad at Aaliyah for... something." Caleb sighed.

"Well, my guess is because Jenny has gotten insanity too deep inside her, and it left her to not care about anything. Surely, there is something that's bothering her." Redd said.

"My granddaughters told me about that Jenny girl! That diddly-darn whippersnapper can feel the anger we had inside her for what she almost did!" Cuttlefish yelled in anger.

"Yeah. Trust me, Cap'n, _everyone _would be upset if they found that the Squid Sisters died from one of the most insane Octolings of all time." Redd responded.

"Lad, you are absolutely right. Hopefully things will change as the days go on." Cuttlefish replied. He looked at Caleb, who was looking down at the ground.

"I just sure hope Aaliyah is alright. I want to do everything in my power to make her feel happy after all the abuse she had to go through." Caleb said in a determined tone.

"Heh heh, that's good to hear, Caleb! You care about her a lot! Since both of you are Octolings, this'll go along quite well!" Redd snickered.

"Hey, you guys. We're here. You're good to go now," C.Q. Cumber called out as the train doors open, "We hope you enjoyed this ride. Thank you for stopping by at Deepsea Metro."

"Welp, time to leave this place in the most victorious way possible." Redd said while pulling out his squid phone. He scrolled through his music list, and then picked one song.

The song playing is "Power Of Squidbeak", but the instrumental version. Redd marched out of the door, his footsteps moving along with the sync of this song.

Caleb just laughed to himself, and followed Redd, and Cuttlefish was as well.

C.Q. Cumber seemed confused by the music that was playing, since he never heard it before.

"That song seems... interesting. Yet... why would this Agent 4 guy use a song like that?" C.Q. said to himself, and slithers away.

* * *

*scene: New Albacore Hotel*

"Would you like to stay at my place for a little bit, Aaliyah? Or at least to get something to eat?" Mia asked.

"Well, sure. What do you feel like having?" Ali questioned.

"Heh, maybe just some pizza. But I'm gonna have some juice to drink since I had all that popcorn at the movies." Mia responded. Aaliyah just nods as a response.

"And good job with taking your time to get a little more social, Ali. You're getting better." Mia complimented.

"Hee hee... thanks, Mia. Still need to try..." Aaliyah answered with a slight blush.

"Anyway, let's get inside. It's gonna get cold." Mia said, and then takes out the keys to her apartment.

She inserts the key in, and opens the door. The apartment looks really nice on the inside.

As soon as the two go inside, everything turned black. There was a hint of purple surrounding them.

"Huh?! What the shell?!" Mia yelled.

"O-Oh dear... this doesn't look to good." Aaliyah said nervously. And then they heard an evil laugh.

Two red triangles appear, for what seems to be like eyes.

"Welcome, you two... to the center of darkness." The creature said.

"D-Darkness?" Aaliyah mumbled as she got a little scared.

"Yeah, that's right. This is what the center of it looks like." The creature responded.

"Okay, what's the deal? Why did you take us here? I demand an answer!" Mia commanded.

"To see what it's like. After all, siding with darkness is one thing... that is, if you want power on the ones that despise you." The dark-like embodiment explained.

"But it looks... creepy." Aaliyah admitted.

"That's just the fortune about darkness in general." The dark creature said.

"Uh, I... don't see any fortunes..." Aaliyah mumbled. And as soon as she said that, a fortune cookie teleported in front of her.

"Open this cookie and read the fortune." The creature groaned.

"No thanks." Aaliyah responded, and the fortune cookie goes away as the response.

"But now for the point of being here. You've seen darkness. So come join it." The creature demanded.

"No way I'd ever do that!" Mia shouted.

"I don't want to either. It looks too scary..." Aaliyah added quietly. And then more black tentacles came to them, completely black in color.

Each tentacle grabbed their arms and legs, much to their surprise.

"YOU _DARE _DEFY A LORD OF DARKNESS?!" The creature screamed at them.

"No, I'm not gonna join either." Mia mumbled.

"L-Let us go! P-Please!" Aaliyah cried as she struggled from the grips. The grips gotten tighter, and pulled their limbs. The two screamed in pain.

"I'll have you know I have SEVERE punishments for those who aggravate the great DARKNESS!" The creature yelled.

"And I'll have _you _know that you're messing with an Inkling who storms hideouts like a bada**!" Mia shouted, and then struggles some more. She yanked one of her hands off one of the tentacles, and uses that hand to free her other one.

Then she did the same to her feet. She grabs the loose tentacle, and throws it at one of the red eyes.

"ACK! WHAT?! How can this BE?!" The creatures shrieked.

"Beat it, dark creature! Don't come back!" Mia commanded.

"Alright, alright, fine." The creature groaned, and floats away. And the dark hallucination goes away, with Mia's apartment now being seen.

"How did you do that, Mia?" Aaliyah asked as she shakes off some numb pain from inside her wrists.

"I taught myself basic karate. I hope to teach other cephalopods about it soon." Mia responded.

"Oh. That's... interesting." Aaliyah mumbled.

"Anyway, ready for some pizza?" Mia asked with a smirk.

"Hm. Sure." Aaliyah replied.

"Woomy!" Mia cheered.

"Hee hee hee... veemo." Aaliyah giggled as she follows Mia inside the apartment.

* * *

**A/N: Oh, it's NOT over yet. There's one more chapter to go. But you'll know the person here if you played a certain game. ;p**

**But that's all I have in store. I'll see what else we'll have next to do. Stay Fresh! :D**


	5. Mistakes Were Made

**And now to end this short little tale. Hopefully, after this one, you'll get an idea of what to expect from me next ;). Also, FINALLY I'm getting into the Ranked modes some more (Rainmaker is my favorite).**

**But without further ado, enjoy! :D**

* * *

*2 minutes pass by*

Mia watches the pizza cook as it stays inside the oven. It was inside a regular oven since Mia thought buying a brick or wooden oven would be too expensive. Aaliyah was helping out by setting the table and getting the drinks ready.

"So, what else would you like, Aaliyah?" Mia asked.

"Hmm. Not sure, Mia. I probably will just have juice, or chocolate milk." Aaliyah replied.

"Aw, come on, Aaliyah! Everyone knows that you have to have soda when having pizza!" Mia teased.

"I just don't really like soda for some reason." Aaliyah admitted.

"Really? That's surprising, coming from an Octoling who loves chocolate and candy." Mia responded.

"Well, I had Ginger ale a couple times. But that was only when I had tummy aches..." Aaliyah confessed.

"Heh, I do have some Ginger ale. If you want any." Mia offered.

"Ok." Aaliyah said as a response. As the pizza continues to cook, Mia sits down on a chair near the dining table. Aaliyah sits down across from her.

"So, Aaliyah," Mia started, "Do you have any other ideas for what you want to do? Inkopolis has many choices, for many different topics. It's all up to you, and I'm just wondering what you have suggested."

"I think I just might stay at Brooke's Bakery. Because I have no other ideas, honestly." Aaliyah responded.

"That's... quite surprising, actually." Mia said.

"Well, I can't really do anything else. I'm not up for it..." Aaliyah confessed.

"You know that you should open your mind to more stuff, Ali. You never know what you may be able to do." Mia said.

"But... that's the issue. I don't _want _to do anything." Aaliyah replied.

"But why? You just need to practice stuff!" Mia exclaimed.

"Cashiers earn money, though. I just... enjoy giving out sweets, I guess." Aaliyah said as she slightly looks down.

"You know, Cuttlefish offered you to be the New Squidbeak Splatoon's supporter," Mia groaned, "You can't tell me that you can't be prepared for that. We're all Agents, and supporting us where anything is... well, that's the best we all can do."

"I-I can try my best. I'm just afraid I might let everyone down..." Aaliyah whimpered.

"Well, at least you don't have to fight. Since I know you don't like that stuff." Mia said softly. And they just sit down as some more random topics appear in their heads.

Aaliyah tried her best to answer as many as she can. Sometimes, she will have a little trouble with answering. But as soon as another topic was about to start...

_ding!_

"Welp, the pizza is ready." Mia said with a slight chuckle. She got up and grabbed some oven mitts, and opened the oven with extreme caution. Since the pizza was already being cooked on a giant wooden spatula, it was easy for her to take it out.

She set the whole pizza on the counter, and grabbed a pizza cutter to cut the pizza into 8 different slices.

"*sniff sniff* Mmm. Even from here, it smells very yummy." Aaliyah complimented while showing a smile.

"It sure does. We just have to wait for it to cool down," Mia said, "Oh, yeah, and could you help me out and put some Ginger ale in 2 different glasses for us? Cause I gotta set the pizza and put the slices on the plates."

"Sure thing, Mia." Aaliyah said, and then gets up and walks to the refrigerator. She opens it, and sees a big bottle of Ginger ale. She grabs it, and walks back to the table, where the glasses were already set.

Ali put quite a decent amount of Ginger ale in Mia's glass, and only a little in her own glass.

"Alright. It cooled down a little, but it's still hot, so be careful." Mia warned as she set the pizza at the center of the table, on a giant plate.

"Ok." Aaliyah said as a response. She reached over and grabbed her first slice. It was easy to peel off.

Mia grabbed two slices to eat for today.

"Oh, and I also have some leftover garlic knots, as well as some marinara sauce." Mia reminded, and walked over to grab those said things. Aaliyah watched Mia walk over, with the third Agent turning back to the innocent Octoling.

"Go ahead and dig in, Aaliyah!" Mia offered. Aaliyah just nods, and then begins to eat her pizza slice.

* * *

*5 minutes later*

Aaliyah eats 3 small bites to her slice in a row, and chews on each of those bites.

"Ali, you shouldn't eat so fast like that. You'll get stomach problems." Mia warned. Aaliyah looks at Agent 3 while gulping down those bites.

"I... don't have any issues right now." She said innocently.

"Well then, how about you just take a big bite then? To make it faster?" Mia suggested.

"I don't want to. It'll be harder to chew on it." Aaliyah admitted.

"Are you frickin' _kidding _me?!" Mia yelled, very annoyed right now. Aaliyah just stares confused, why she suddenly yelled like that.

"Look, Aaliyah. I'll just say this once," Mia said, "As much as a good friend you are, sometimes things can get out of hand. Every time I suggest one simple thing, you say a response that I don't like!"

"I... But... that's just how I eat. That's what I explained before. I'm different..." Aaliyah replied.

"Really? I heard the issues from what happened to people who do that." Mia moaned.

"It... It was like that when I was in the orphanage. I'm just... like that." Aaliyah said quietly. She looks around the table, looking at the tan walls, and wooden floor.

"Look at me, Aaliyah," Mia said as the innocent Octoling looks at her, "Remember that I want to help you. Not only against evil from those Octarians, but also for helping you with how to talk with other people."

"I-I'm antisocial. It's just... hard for me, no matter how hard I t-" Aaliyah responded, but she was interrupted when Mia slammed her fist on the table, startling the shy girl.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, YOU _STUPID OCTOLING_?!" Mia screamed, a very angry look on her face.

Aaliyah's eyes widened at the sound of those last two words.

_Stupid Octoling. _

_STUPID OCTOLING._

**_sTuPiD oCtOlInG. _**

Aaliyah felt some tiny tears that were beginning to form. That was the one name that most bullies have called her. Just for being different...

Mia lost her angry look and replaced it with a surprised and sorry one.

"Wait, Aaliyah, I didn't mean-" Mia said, only to be interrupted to see Aaliyah run away from her, exiting the apartment.

"Aaliyah! Come back!" Mia shouted, holding out her hand. But the innocent Octoling was already gone.

Mia sighed in defeat. She made one of her friends leave her, and she might've even made Ali cry.

"I need to go apologize." Mia suggested to herself, and began to follow behind. She put the pizza in a huge, thin box, similar to regular pizza boxes. She put the garlic knots and marinara sauce in aluminum foil, and the Ginger ale glasses in the fridge.

Before leaving, Mia looked at her apartment one last time. She then walked to her door and left.

* * *

***scene: outside New Albacore Hotel, the battle area for any Turf War or Ranked modes***

Mia walked along the top area, seeing the jellyfish swimming in the giant pool.

"Yeah. Ali isn't here. She must be in her room as always." Mia said to herself. She sighed as she thought about what happened earlier.

As she walked away from the roof to go look for Aaliyah, suddenly she felt herself at a frozen at one place. Her left eye turned entirely purple, while her right eye turned entirely yellow.

Mia waked up to see she was in her own mind. Suddenly, she saw her the right side around her turn into a light area, and the other side being dark.

"Hey! What is this?!" Mia yelled.

"Ah, you're noticing now, s**t-for-brains. I suppose you remember my voice at the movie theater." A godly voice said.

"Flasher?" Mia asked.

"The one and only." Flasher chuckled.

"And what better to view you again than with some reminding of what has been happening?" Another voice suggested.

"Oh, it's... you as well." Mia groaned.

"The name is Blackout. And I assume that... you're not fit for picking _one _side yet?" The other voice asked.

"No! I'm going to see my friend and help her out!" Mia yelled.

"Why? Didn't you hurt her feelings at that little pizza party?" Flasher teased.

"It just slipped out! I'm just coming to make her better!" Mia shouted.

"You aren't doing that. You might as well join the darkness to make things better for yourself." Blackout said.

"How about the light instead? JOIN IT." Flasher said menacingly.

"No! Get out of my head!" Mia commmanded.

"Stay off, 'Flasher'! If anything, she is joining my side!" Blackout shouted angrily.

"That's what you think, sucka!" Flasher yelled back. And then they each show their small forms and get closer to Mia.

"Shut up with the siding! Just get out of here!" Mia shouted.

"JOIN ME, JOIN ME, JUST PICK A SIDE AND JOIN." They said in unison, and kept on chanting that specific sentence. Mia grabbed her hands with her head, and began to continuously scream.

"GET OUT! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" Mia shrieked as she kept on enduring the chants, which kept on haunting her.

* * *

*meanwhile, in Inkopolis Square...*

Redd's ears perked up, and he flinched once he realized what he might've been hearing.

"What's wrong, Redd?" Caleb asked as he approached his friend. Cuttlefish already left, so he didn't see what was happening.

"I think something is wrong with Mia. Or something is happening in New Albacore Hotel." Redd replied.

"We have to see what's going on!" Caleb exclaimed in worry. He and Redd turn into their octopus/squid form, and they super jump to their destination.

They land on the roof of that exact place, and their eyes widen upon seeing the first thing in front of them.

Mia was on laying on the floor on her side, rolling around while her hands were tightly holding her head.

"Get out of my head!" Mia kept on yelling.

"Oh my cod! Mia!" Redd shouted as he ran over to his twin sister. He grabbed Mia by her sides and made her sit up.

"MIA! SNAP OUT OF IT!" Redd screamed as he shook Mia. The third Agent snapped out of her trance, her eyes turning normal again.

"O-Oh cod. Redd. Thank goodness..." Mia sighed in relief.

"What happened, sis? You were having a panic attack." Redd asked as Caleb approaches Agent 3 from the other side.

"Well, it's kinda hard to explain." Mia said nervously.

"Mia, you are a very strong Inkling. You can tell us." Caleb said soothingly.

"Okay, here's what happened," Mia said as she took a deep breath, "So as I was walking back to another apartment from staying here, I started to hallucinate, and get stuck in my mind. There were 2 beings, one of light, and one of dark. They each asked me to join their side... for some reason. I could just scream since I wasn't really armed with anything. Even if it _was _in my mind."

"What apartment were you going to?" Caleb questioned.

"It was Aaliyah's. I did something to her that made her run away from mine." Mia explained.

"Oh, and you were gonna apologize." Redd said.

"Yeah. If you don't mind, I would appreciate it if you two will come with me." Mia offered.

"Of course! I live with Aaliyah, after all!" Caleb exclaimed.

"And I would join as well." Redd added.

* * *

*scene: Aaliyah's apartment, her bedroom*

Aaliyah was laying down on her bed. She was laying on her belly, her face dug inside a pillow. She was just breathing normally, not doing anything. And she also had her door locked.

Suddenly, a red squid squished through under the door, ending up seeing the innocent Octoling. The squid turns back into the humanoid form, turning out to be Redd.

"Hey, Aaliyah." He greeted. Aaliyah sat up and looked at him. Her eyes were red. She _was _crying, but it seemed to be over now.

"H... How did you get in?" She asked.

"I've been teaching myself how to go under doors. You know, for other situations." Redd replied with a chuckle as he unlocks the door and opens it. Mia and Caleb walk in.

"Aaliyah? Listen, I want to talk with you for a bit." Mia said.

"Okay." Aaliyah replied she she sits down on the bed normally. Mia sits down next to her.

"I just want to apologize for what happened earlier," Mia explained, "It just slipped out since I fought a lot of Octolings as Agent 3. I didn't really mean to apply that term to you. Especially after that nice hangout we have been through."

"It's okay, Mia. I forgive you." Aaliyah said.

"But you were crying." Caleb pointed out.

"I... I didn't run away from you, Mia, because of what you said. I ran away because... I didn't want to have a mental breakdown in front of you." Aaliyah confessed.

"Ah, that makes sense." Redd replied.

"So, we're cool?" Mia asked.

"Mm hmm." Aaliyah hummed while showing a small smile.

"That's cool." Mia said while smiling back.

"Were you talking to others earlier, Aaliyah?" Caleb asked.

"At the park. I'm... getting a little better." Aaliyah responded.

"That's awesome! Keep it up, girl!" Redd teased. Everyone let out a giggle from that.

"Maybe someday. But we'll just wait and see." Was all Aaliyah said.

And so, it turned out the rest of the day was peaceful as it is. Aaliyah still needs practice, but at least she has her close friends by her side.

But that hallucination... could this be _real _someday?

* * *

**A/N: And it's done. Finally XD. So, I'm gonna think of some more ideas soon, to see what else would fit in. Also, check out InkBoyJay's stories. His are pretty good imo.**

**But Stay Fresh, and see y'all next time! :D**


	6. Preview for another story

**Here's a preview of my next Aaliyah story. It's gonna be a long while when this one comes because my plan right now is Inkopolis Chaos, 2 Splatoon stories, and a Super Smash Bros crossover.**

**But this is what the first part would be like. Check it out.**

* * *

"Hey, Caleb? Could you show me a couple of those... mem cakes that you have...?" Aaliyah asked.

"Ah, yes. My mem cakes. I'll be glad to show them to you." Caleb replied. He reached over to his backpack that he bad during his time at the Metro.

He put his hand inside, and pulls out a couple of those small things.

"This is the first one I ever got. An orange Inkling girl." Caleb said as he holds a small, marshmallow-like thing in the shape of that exact explanation.

"And... you have poems for each of them?" Aaliyah questioned.

"You paint the turf with graceful strokes. With watchful eye, I breathe a sigh. From sniper's perch, I go for broke."

"Ooh. That sounds... extraordinary."

"Yes. But I don't have all of my memories back. Not even all these mem cakes are enough to make me realize what I did back then..."

"I'm sure you'll get all your memories back someday, Caleb." Aaliyah assured.

"Thanks, Ali," Caleb said with a smile, "Also, here's another one that is one of my favorites."

Agent 8 grabs the cake of a spawn point.

"The poem I got for this one is: 'Finality's not what it seems. When your end comes, rise up and run. Don't let defeat dissolve your dreams.'" Caleb explained.

"Ooh. That one is very... deep. In a good way." Ali said quietly.

"I'm glad you think so. Oh, and here's one that you might like!" Caleb exclaimed excitedly, and then digs in to grab another cake.

This time, it's in the shape of an Octoling from Octavio's army.

"This one is also a good one, Aaliyah," Caleb reminded, "So, I want to know if I had any other friends back then, so for the poem... 'Though parted by the ocean deep, My oldest friend, we meet again. I touch your face; you rouse from sleep.'"

"I'm sure that you were never lonely, Caleb." Aaliyah said.

"Ali... you're very kind." Caleb complimented.

"Hee hee... and these mem cakes though... they're squishy." Aaliyah giggled as she grabbed one cake and starts messing around with it by squishing it.

"Hey, Aaliyah. Be careful with those. I worked very hard to get them." Caleb warned.

"Oh, don't worry. I'm just checking them out." Aaliyah responded.

"Look, Aaliyah. I don't want you ruining them." Caleb said angrily.

"I'm not even doing anything..." Aaliyah mumbled.

"Well, you're obviously doing SOMETHING!" Caleb shouted. Aaliyah flinched once she heard him yell.

"Give me that back!" Caleb snatched the small object out of her hand.

"C-Caleb... c-could you please calm down..?" Aaliyah asked innocently.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" Caleb yelled, "Maybe I should just leave this place and go back to the Metro, since that is where I belong! Not here with you, but maybe over THERE!"

Aaliyah didn't know how to respond to something like this.

"Y-You don't mean that!" Ali cried.

"How about you start paying attention next time when someone talks to you?!" Caleb shouted.

"But I _am _paying attention!"

"No you're not!"

"Yes I am!"

"SHUT UP!"

Aaliyah felt like her hearts were about to explode after that one sentence. She felt hot tears forming quickly, so she ran away before anything else can happen.

Caleb just scoffed and puts all his mem cakes back.

*meanwhile*

* * *

Aaliyah was crying loudly, her face on one of her pillows. She didn't want to believe that her crush would just straight up yell at her.

And all Ali wanted to do was help.

"No one knows what I've been through," She ranted to herself in between her sobs, "All I want to do is help people out, and all that happens is that people yell at me or tell me to leave..."

Her voice broked down when that ended, and her sobbing got louder.

"I... I don't deserve to be in Inkopolis. I never was meant to be here. It's too good to be true." Aaliyah mumbled.

After 2 more minutes, Aaliyah stopped her crying and frantically rubs her eyes, then she wipes her nose as if she felt snot coming down.

"I... need to leave. I have to go back. Back to where I truly belong." Aaliyah sighed.

* * *

10 minutes later*

Aaliyah was in front of a huge building, holding a pink suitcase in her hand. She looked up and saw the logo on the top of the building:

"Oyster Orphanage".

"Hopefully she's still here..." Aaliyah thought. She took a deep breath, and then opens the door, wondering what awaits her inside.


End file.
